River cruising with children can prove to be a difficult task as early as the booking process begins. Once you’re on board, another possible issue arises – keeping your children entertained. When I sailed aboard AmaMagna, it housed the largest population of children I have ever seen on a river boat. So that poses a question, is AmaMagna the perfect river ship for families?

As I have mentioned many times before on this site, you know your kids best and understand their needs and capabilities. If your children are high-energy and thrive on constant engagement and stimulation, a river cruise might not be the ideal choice. However, if your kids are likely to be captivated by the tours, landscapes, and history unfolding before them, it is a wonderful experience for a young traveler.

Curious about traveling aboard AmaWaterways with children? Check out Family River Cruises With AmaWaterways

There were about eight kids under the age of 12 on my sailing, and a couple of older teenagers. In addition to those under 20 there were also many passengers my age, in their mid-twenties. This created an interesting atmosphere that, while dissimilar to my other river cruise experiences, felt very natural. It was fun to see the kids out on the dance floor, or watching fireworks as we sailed into Vilshofen during The Danube In Flames festival.

Most of the children on my sailing seemed amused by the swimming pool, which I should note is heated and operates year-round. This seems to be the hub for most children on AmaWaterways’ ships, as they all house a similar pool. However, AmaMagna has another space that attracts children – the Theatre.

Not only is the Theatre a venue to watch movies, as the name suggests, but it houses two gaming consoles – a Playstation and a Nintendo Switch. Most children retired to the Theatre after dinner each night to play Mario Kart. The Theatre is situated just behind the Lounge, so if parents want to head to the Lounge after dinner for evening entertainment, they can do so with their children still nearby.

There were a many nights that the children ended up on the dance floor after gaming, and the guests seemed thrilled. No one seemed to be irritated by the presence of children, instead enamored at how well-behaved they were, and, most importantly, how incredible some of their dance moves were.

Eight-year-old Will and his 11-year-old sister Riley were among the children aboard. When I asked Riley about her experience on the ship, she said that she thought the ship was perfect for families, and even pulled in the family theme I wrote about in an earlier article stating: “I love a lot about this ship. My favorite dinner was at Jimmy’s because it’s family style, and we are all one Ama family.”

During my dining experience at Jimmy’s with Riley and Will, we encountered a slight problem. Plates are brought out and served family style – a wonderful concept that I really enjoyed, however it may be a bit challenging for picky eaters and children. When our fish entree arrived, neither of the children seemed to thrilled about it, and both dove straight for the gnocchi that accompanied the fish on the plate. Upon realizing the children’s gnocchi fixation, our server brought the children a bowl full of the gnocchi (fish aside) so they could eat it to their heart’s content.

AmaWaterways also features an “Always Available” section on each of its menus that features Caesar salad, grilled chicken, French fries, and more classic options. This attempts to assure that at every meal guests will be able find something that they enjoy eating regardless of the night’s menu.

I took a moment to chat with some of the parents on board to hear their thoughts on river cruising with children. Among them was Samantha Brown, the ship’s godmother and a well-known travel expert, who is also a mother to twins.

When asked about how her young children felt about river cruising she said: “They’re in the age group…that all they want is a pool.” Her children were quite young for a river cruise, being six at the time, and I figured they may be hard-pressed to find something to keep their attention, especially as Brown fulfilled her godmotherly duties.

Brown was joined by a nanny. She mentioned that she travels with a nanny when she knows she will have to work, as not to leave her six-year-old children to fend for themselves as she attended meetings and partook in various events onboard. Because AmaMagna has a significant number of third and fourth berths, as well as adjoining cabins, there are multiple configuration options for parents and kids. There’s even room for the nanny. These cabins also make it easier for families with more than two children, or for families that want an adjoining cabin to their children.

While there is no kid’s club on board, Brown sees that as a positive, “There is no kid’s club where everything is force fed and all you have to do is react. They have to meet the experience halfway and be a part of what makes it fun, and I think it’s a great lesson.”

Still, this mode of travel might not be for all children. Brown noted that her children are “very acclimated to going with the flow” and that she “think[s] that what every good traveler does well.”